Display-refrigerator



(No Model.)

W. A. EHLEB 81; D. O. DAUGHERTY.

DISPLAY REFRIGBRTOR.

Patented Aug. 18,'1896.

No.V 565,969.

WVU/185565 Hlflfovvlefg.

UNITED ASTATES PATENT OFFICE'.

VILLIAM A. EHLEB AND DAVID O. DAUGHERTY, OF ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS.

DISPLAY-REFRIGERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 565,969, dated August18, 1896.

Application iiled December 30, 1895. Serial No. 573,846. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that we, WILLIAM A. EHLEB and DAVID O. DAUGHERTY, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Rock Island, in the county of Rock Islandand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Vegetable-Cases, ofwhich the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to vegetable-cases having transparent sidesadapted to display fresh vegetables for sale Ain the open market orretail stores; and its object is to provide such a case as will preservegreen vegetables fresh and crisp for along time and at the same time beby its construction adapted to display them for sale and keep themconvenient for removal when sold. We attain this object by means of themechanism and construction set forth in the specification and claims andshown in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, wherein the same character of reference refers to thesame part in both views, Figure l is a vertical transverse section ofthe device. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same.

The' case consists of a lower body B and an upper ice-chamber A. Thelower portion or body B, preferably constructed of wood, has its top letdown so as to form the bottom of the ice-chamber A, and its walls arecapped by plates m m, projecting inward', so as to form a shoulderextending around the interior of the ice-chamber three or four inchesabove the bottom. A tongue or liange o is rabbeted into the plate m mand holds the cover, or case proper, c, from slipping off.

The case c has its top, ends, and front constructed of glass, and has adoor or doors bl in its back, hinged at b', adapted for taking out andputting in vegetables. The case cis lifted entirely off the lowerportion B and set to one side whenever it becomes necessary to replenishthe ice, and its side and'end walls are grooved on the bottom, so as tofit snugly on and over the tongue o.

Thebottom of the ice-chamber A is lined with zinc or other suitablematerial and is inclined, so that the water fromvthe melting ice fiowsto one corner of the box and is discharged through the drip-pipe p. Arack R is placed 011 the bottom of the ice-chamber A, its lower portionbeing adapted to correct the incline of the bottom, so that its uppersurface is horizontal. Guide-rods g of brass, aluminium, or othernon-corroding metal or material are set in the shoulder 'm and projectupward.

The ice-chamber is kept partially filled with prismatic blocks` of iceI, as shown in the drawings. A wire gauze or netting n (shown as a linein thedrawings) rests upon the ice and is provided at the end and sideswith eyeholes adapted to receive the guide-rods. As

exterior of the vegetable-case may be finishedornamentally.

The advantages derived from the use of this device are chiefly asfollows: The vegetables are kept fresh and crisp for a long periodwithout the liability of spoiling, as is the case when water is used.The refrigerating device serves at the same time as a showcase, enablingvegetables to be conspicuously displayed, and, further, by the use ofthis device a large part of the handling and consequent injury of thevegetables is avoided.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A refrigerator comprising a lower or base portion having an ice-rackarranged at its upper part but below the plane of its edge an uppercover resting on the lower portion, the guides g extending from the baseupwardly and the wire-netting movable vertically on the guides g to reston the ice and hold the articles in proximity thereto.

2. In combination in a refrigerator, the casing, the ice-rack, theguides extending upwardly in the ice-chamber and the netting on saidguides movable downwardly to rest on the ice.

3. In combination, the base portion having the ice-rack at its upperpart and having a the ice gradually melts the wire-netting folfoonetting n, and means for Conducting off Waste 1o Water from theice-Chamber A, as described.

4 VILLIAM A. EHLEB.

DAVID O. DAUGHERTY.

Vitnesses:

HAROLD A. WELD, S. R. KENWORTHY.

